


all these sounds i'll never hear

by hotelbooks



Series: soulmate!malum [1]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Sad Michael, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, This Is STUPID, barista calum, deaf calum, deaf michael, idk what else to tag, im sorry, lashton if you squint, luke and ashton are there briefly, michael just wants to hear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 13:09:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotelbooks/pseuds/hotelbooks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>three people had walked by him with umbrellas, paying no attention to his presence (they didn’t need to, michael just noticed that none of them looked his way). four more cars had driven by, hitting that same puddle and pushing water up and over the curb of the sidewalk. he watched as crows flew by, sitting on the telephone wires overhead. beads of rain dropped into the puddles on the streets, causing small ripples to spread in them. michael adjusted the beanie on his head tugging it down over his ears to warm them. he pulled his sleeves over his hands, another desperate attempt at warmth, and rubbed the covered hands together. he almost regrets coming out here when it was cold like this, and he wasn’t really dressed appropriately either, in just a pair of black skinny jeans and a grey sweater over a muscle shirt. but, he rarely got out of the house anymore, and the fresh air could do him some good.</p>
<p>he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. it was quiet.</p>
<p>but it always was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	all these sounds i'll never hear

**Author's Note:**

> idk what this is but since i'm a sucker for soulmate aus i wrote this,, lowercase is intended((: enjoy!!

               michael stared down at his dirty black converse as he walked. they scraped against the pavement, getting dirtier at the toes than they already were. he let out a breath of air, steam leaving his lips and disappearing into the cold. his hands were roughly shoved into his pockets in a desperate attempt to keep them warm again. michael tore his gaze away from the sidewalk he was walking down, taking in his surroundings. it was a dull day, if he did say so himself; the sky was grey, a slight drizzle pouring out from the clouds above him, the buildings he walked past looking run down and gloomy. he did live in the downtown area, which held most of the older buildings. he wondered what had happened to these buildings that caused them to just be abandoned like this.

 

a few people passed him as he walked, and he flashed a small smile in hopes of making them feel a little better (he assumed people felt as glum as him, considering the yucky weather usually contributes to how people felt). he received a few upturned lips in return, and he felt better about himself, even if they were just being polite.

 

michael didn’t really know a set destination, he was just roaming the downtown area to get out of the house. he had walked this area hundreds of thousands of times; he knew it like the back of his hand. although nothing ever changed, he liked the adventure, even if the buildings were still trashed and the roads were still cracked, and the green trees were thriving off all of the rain they’d been getting recently. at least they were happy with the weather, michael thought to himself.

 

a few cars passed him as he made his way down the street, the wheels running over puddles on the cement and splashing up onto the sidewalk. michael sat down on a bench under the awning of one of the poor abandoned buildings, stretching out his legs and crossing his feet. he sat for a while, watching the world continue moving as he had stopped.

 

three people had walked by him with umbrellas, paying no attention to his presence (they didn’t need to, michael just noticed that none of them looked his way). four more cars had driven by, hitting that same puddle and pushing water up and over the curb of the sidewalk. he watched as crows flew by, sitting on the telephone wires overhead. beads of rain dropped into the puddles on the streets, causing small ripples to spread in them. michael adjusted the beanie on his head tugging it down over his ears to warm them. he pulled his sleeves over his hands, another desperate attempt at warmth, and rubbed the covered hands together. he almost regrets coming out here when it was cold like this, and he wasn’t really dressed appropriately either, in just a pair of black skinny jeans and a grey sweater over a muscle shirt. but, he rarely got out of the house anymore, and the fresh air could do him some good.

 

he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. it was quiet.

 

but it always was.

 

that’s the thing, michael is deaf. he’s not the only one, though, because in the world they live in, everyone is born deaf. they never hear anything until they hear their soulmate’s voice for the first time. and in all honesty, michael hates it. he’s spent nineteen years on this planet in a complete silence, watching his parents speak to each other with ease. he’s never heard their voices, an he’s never heard his _own_ voice, which, in his opinion, really fucking sucks.

 

michael would _kill_ to wake up in the morning to hear the birds songs, listen to music as he cooked eggs for breakfast (of course, he’d make some for the love of his life, who he hopes likes to sleep in so he could wake up to make them a mean meal). he’d listen to the sizzle of the pan and he cooked, the whistle of the slight breeze coming in through the open window. he’d listen to the small padding steps of his soulmate coming down the stairs, and the sound of his own laugh when they wrap their arms around him at the stove. he’d listen to their cute yawn with a sleepy “morning.” with that beautiful voice of theirs.

 

that voice, that simple sound that michael’s been waiting to hear for nearly twenty years, is the only thing stopping him from hearing the world around him. he used to walk down the street and say hello to anyone who walked by, and when they said it back, he hoped to hear a voice. but, as if he couldn’t get any more hopeless, no sound. just moving lips, and a disappointed frown etched on michael’s face. he had stopped saying help to people, and instead just waved. michael rarely spoke to anyone anymore, since he was forced to learn sign language when he started high school anyway. that’s how people who haven’t found their soulmates communicate with each other now, instead of wasting their time trying to speak to each other without any success. moving lips turned into moving hands, and michael hates that no one speaks to him anymore. he had gotten quite well with reading lips, so he could tell if his friend luke was asking him if he wanted to come over to play fifa. it made him very upset the first time luke used sign language to ask him “want to come over to my place?” with a sad nod, michael agreed, signing back “of course.”

 

luke has been able to hear since he was sixteen. to say michael was jealous of him was a huge understatement. luke had met his soulmate, ashton, when he was with his friends at the movies. of course, being the weirdo luke was at sixteen (he still is a weirdo, michael thinks), he wore a pair of fluorescent green sunglasses to the theatre. they didn’t match his outfit at all, but he thought they were cool so he wore them anyway. his friends were picking on him for them, and although he couldn’t hear their laughter or taunts, they still hurt him. luke liked his glasses and he thought they looked really nice on him. luke looked away from his friends, trying to take the attention of of himself, and he turned his head to see a taller boy with a blonde fringe walk up to them. luke furrowed his eyebrows at him, and the boy flashed a small smile down to him. he then looked up to luke’s friends and took a breath.

 

“hey,” the boy spoke while signing out what he was saying, in case some of luke’s friends couldn’t hear yet. luke’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. “i think his glasses are pretty cool. leave him alone.” and just like that, it’s like luke’s world opened up around him. he could hear small chatter, the sound of popcorn popping, and the sound of his friend’s chuckles dying down. he gasped in surprise.

 

“i-“ he began, stopping at the sound of his own voice. the boy jumped in surprise, staring down at luke with the biggest eyes luke’s ever seen. “th-thank you.” the boy looked as bewildered as luke did seconds before, and he let out a shaky breath.

 

“oh my- oh my _god_.” he said, covering his mouth. his voice had surprised him, and he smiled widely under his hand. “hi. i’m ashton, y-you are?”

 

“luke, i’m luke. _wow_ , hi,” luke laughed. ashton giggled at how flustered luke was, and luke decided that, although he’s only heard the sounds of a movie theatre for the first time, nothing could ever top the sound of ashton’s laugh.

 

luke knew how upset michael was about not being able to hear anything yet, and luke always tried his best to explain how something sounds through sign language. michael was thankful that luke was so thoughtful to do so, but it wasn’t the same. michael thinks he’d never be truly happy with sounds until he could hear them with his own ears. the worst part is, michael sometimes believes that he will never find his soulmate, feeling very discouraged all the time. he’s been missing his other half for nineteen years, what makes him think he’s any closer? luke hates when michael thinks ths way, since he once thought that way himself, so he usually tries to help michael out of his funk (sometimes calling ashton for help, since he’s much better with words than luke is).

 

michael sighed, getting up from the bench and continuing down the damp street. he turned the corner and into his favourite coffee shop two blocks from his house. the bell above the door moved when michael entered, and he took in a deep breath. the smell of donuts and coffee invaded his senses and he smiled softly to himself. rubbing his feet on the doormat to keep from spreading dirty water throughout the shop - he hates the thought of creating more work for someone - he pushed the hood off his head and ran his hands through his blonde hair. he went over to his usual table, the small, two person table in the corner of the shop, and sat down. this was his favourite table, as it was right next to the window and he could see everything happening outside, as well as in the shop itself.

 

modern technology had helped a lot with people who were still deaf. michael was glad, and he thanked the people who invented tablets, because instead of going to the usual counter and ordering the coffee by word, you could just click your order on the tablet screen that was in the table. michael sighed in content, pressing a small vanilla cappuccino and a cinnamon bun. he clicked the order button, and folded his hands on the table. he watched other people in the meantime.

 

michael frowned, admiring how other people were talking and laughing with each other, having normal conversations like the whole soulmate thing didn’t exist at all. michael wished it was that easy. he wished he could hear.

 

a boy walked over with a coffee and donut in hand, placing it in front of michael. michael smiled slightly up at the boy, digging into his wallet for money. he handed him the amount and the boy nodded, signing back “enjoy your coffee,” michael responding with a “thank you.” the boy smiled at him and walked away. michael watched as the boy walked back behind the counter, taking a sip of his coffee. there was something about the boy that intrigued him, whether it was his his pretty smile, or his dark hair (michael noticed that it was a lighter brown in the front, probably from previous highlights), or his well-structured face. michael let out a chuckle under his breath, smiling down at his coffee.

 

the next morning, michael walked down the stairs to see his mother making French toast in the kitchen. he knocked on the wall to get her attention so he wouldn’t svare her, and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. she smiled, signing “good morning, baby” and michael frowned.

 

“you can talk to me, i can read lips,” michael said out loud while signing along. his mother gave him a guilty look and nodded, saying “i made breakfast.” he nodded, taking the plate she offered him. after he ate, he helped his mum with the dishes and then told her he was going out. she nodded and michael left, making the same journey to the coffee shop. he frowned, thinking of what he just experienced.

 

he hated the fact that his mother thought that she couldn’t speak to him. he hated the fact that anyone thought they couldn’t speak to him, just because he couldn’t hear them. he felt so behind and left out between all his family and friends, since most of them can hear already. he _hates_ being deaf, and he’s said this to himself nearly hundreds of times, but he just wants to hear. he wants to hear the world he lives in, and he is physically unable to. it bothers him to a great extent, probably more than it should.

 

michael’s never been a very patient person, always wanting things when he wanted them or wanting to do things on his time instead of waiting. meeting his soulmate was no exception. he wants to meet them _now_ , not later. he craves his soulmate’s attention; he craves their eyes, their lips, their voice. oh _god_ , how much he wants to hear that voice.

 

michael entered the shop, sitting down at his table in the corner. this time, he only selected a cappuccino, and then hit ‘order.’ he patiently waited for his coffee, hoping the dark haired boy would bring it to him again. and of course, the boy walked over, a coffee in hand.

 

michael smiled at the boy, then looked down at the coffee. he frowned slightly, looking back at the boy. he took a deep breath, and the boy was watching him intently. he pulled out the money, handing it to him.

 

“thank you,” michael said to him, and the boy’s eyes widened. michael furrowed his eyebrows, and the boy smiled brighter than any other smile michael’s ever seen.

 

“y-you’re welcome,” the boy gasped, covering his mouth.

 

michael couldn’t breathe.

 

it’s like everything happened at once, the boy’s voice echoed in michael’s ears as the world came alive around him. he stared at everything in aw with wide eyes, listening to the sounds of people talking and laughing, sharing coffee, the sounds of donuts being put in the oven, the trays hitting the slots. he listened to the sound of coffee being poured into mugs, and he smiled. he smiled genuinely, something he hadn’t done in a long time.

 

“what-“ he paused, listening to his own voice. “ _oh_.” he exclaimed in surprise, causing calum to laugh. michael’s eyes lit up in pure joy, standing up. “h-hi.”

 

“calum,” the boy said, sticking out his hand. “nice to, finally, meet you.”

 

“michael, my name’s michael. you-you have _no_ idea how long i’ve waited for this moment.” michael shook calum’s hand, and calum gripped michael’s hand tighter, pulling him into a hug.

 

“oh my god, oh my god this is _amazing_. i can hear! i can hear _everything_ ,” calum rambled on, the entire feeling of happiness radiating off of him and into michael. michael had never been so happy.

 

“you have such a nice voice,” michael complimented, snuggling closer to calum. michael felt like he was going to cry. this was truly the best moment of his entire life. nineteen years of silence was finally broken. “thank you, calum. thank you for curing me.” calum laughed at that, and michael thinks luke was right.

 

although the only thing michael’s ever heard were the sounds of the coffee shop, calum’s laugh was the most beautiful sound he has ever heard.


End file.
